Monday, June 7, 2010

As bad a time that Pat White has gotten from fans and the media since becoming a Miami Dolphin, it's another quarterback who has taken a non-stop bashing from both sides, despite the fact he was an under-priced eventual starter who has flashed a coolness and leadership that no other QB other than his rookie-season mentor, Chad Pennington, has shown in a Dolphins uniform for the longest time - I can't even remember back that far - even the Great One, Dan Marino, was no cucumber - he intimidated those around him, and quite often scared me as a young teenager watching from the sidelines or on TV. Marino was excitable, flashy, a record-breaker kind of player.

Henne is focused, has ice in the veins, and is not the risk-taking gunslinger that Marino was. He is a team-player. He is a coach's quarterback. He has the skills to bring the Dolphins into the playoffs and beyond as long as he is not the only piece of the puzzle. Say whatever you want about Dan Marino, but when his Dolphins had a good offense, they had no defense, and once they got the defense, the offense were wearing orthopedic shoes and had traded in their Lamborghinis for the Shuttle Bus.

If the Dolphins of 2010 can match their offensive weaponry with a stout defense, there's no reason to doubt they can win the division - they did it in 2008, they had a winning division record in 2009 despite losing 7 starters to injury, and they swept the divisional favorites in the NY Jets.

So, why all the hatred for Chad Henne? This latest diatribe from ESPNs Tim Graham (who lately seems clearly on a mission to piss off all Dolfans, and to possibly get a job with the NY Jets), suggests that Miami fans are out of their depths by thinking Henne is the second coming. First of all, as a Dolfan who is part of a daily discussion about all things Dolphins, I don't believe this sentiment actually exists on a widescale to begin with. Secondly, his example of a 'Dolfan' is Stephen Ross, the owner of the team. Well, Mr Graham, that's like asking the CEO of Starbucks what coffee-shop he frequents, or President Obama who he's rooting for in the World Cup (apparently Hawaii doesn't have a separate team because it is part of the USA!).

You cannot consider the 'public opinion' of the head cheerleader as the voice of the people. And no matter what the voice of the people is, when it comes to football, everyone's got a voice and none of it has anything to do with what happens on Sundays. No matter how anyone 'feels' about Henne, he has more upside than Brady, Sanchez and (Buffalo, please fill in the blank here) right now, with probably the best O-line in the division, the best WR in the division (sorry Moss, your time has come) the best RBs in the division and a full season of sitting and watching time along with a full season of playing time under his belt.

Is he the next Marino - who knows - I loved Marino when he was playing as much as any other Dolfan - but he never brought an NFL Championship to Miami while guys I despised like John Elway, Steve Young, even Trent Dilfer and (insert useless Redskins and Giants QBs names here) won the big prize. If Henne won a Superbowl for Miami, will he still get the abuse he gets now? Two years ago when I was calling for the head of John Beck, people defended him in droves. And for what? What did he ever do to deserve it? At least Henne has shown something in his time here.

I'm not asking for everyone to lay down their lives and pledge their souls and wallets on Chad Henne here, but I do find it unusual to see fans unwilling to support their starting Quarterback - one who hasn't killed, raped, embezzled, held out, damn, he hasn't even bitched about a new contract that would pay him more than the bare minimum he's being paid now as the lowest paid starting QB in the league. What is the incentive not to support him and hope he does well and what is the incentive for fans of an NFL team to not believe their team can win the Super Bowl?

And to the media, what is the incentive to bash the same people who read your half-assed articles and subscribe to your half-assed newspapers and TV networks? This is football - it is gladiatorial. We all pick the fighter we want to WIN, not just the one we want to watch compete. There's no point in following a gladiator that you know logically cannot win - that would make for a very short-lived hobby.

105 comments:

Chad Henne reminds me of Phil Simms. He's got good size, he's tough, strong arm and like you said more of a team guy than a gunslinging star QB. I expect to see a much improved Henne this year. He should enter the season with a lot more confidence.

Tin - Please, stop beating around the bush and tell us how you actually feel. LOL. I do agree, though, that fans seem to show less passion in defending Henne than is deserved. I don't see a LOT of people bashing him, but he doesn't seem to get much praise. As you said, he is our best QB threat since Marino, he showed great intangibles last year (poise, confidence, leadership), he has great tangibles and this will only be his 2nd year starting. He's now got some WR talent, a solid OLine and good RBs. Though I never liked Henne when he was a Michigan and thought Matt Ryan possessed some intangibles that Henne didn't, Henne has come in and delivered more than I though he would. I don't know how any fan isn't greatly excited about Henne's potential right now.

Henne is going to be a very, very good QB. I know a lot of fans that are excited about him and support him. He has all the tools now for success and we will have a very good year baring injuries. I love that the Jets are media darlings after hiring overpriced leftovers(sorry JT!), squeeking into the playoffs and beating 2 very overrated teams there. People seem to forget that Indy demolished them and Sanchez cant be babied all year like the POs. I also love that their creme de la creme are all going to be up for renegotiation soon.

I would say Henne's received it from both sides of the fence. I personally am a wait and see person, I'll support the guy but I need to see production to believe in him. I would love to think he'll be better than Marino, I know sacreligious but still shouldn't every fan hope to have the greatest team with the greatest players at each position. Also finishing my rant why is Omar acting like Mr. Ross has lost his mind? Why would you say anything other than your team should go to the championship game? I'm sure the other league reps and coaches are telling the media "We're happy with a .500 record this year" I guess I'll just blame it on a down time in news, oh well.

Assuming decent health of course, I'm not at all worried about our offense this season. Henne will be more than okay in his 2nd season b/c he played unbelievably well for a first time starter last year. I believe our O-line will be improved & I expect Marshall to make all of the skilled players better.

My concerns are at both OLB positions & with our secondary. I say secondary b/c aside from the FS position, I need to see Smith step up & show that he's actually a starting caliber CB.

BTW--I don't think Henne is that far from being considered a legitimate franchise QB. There are some things that he obviously needed to improve upon from last year like any other young QB but as long as he doesn't turn the ball over, our offense is going to roll.

Heene should be fine in fact it is amazing how quick the QB picture has changed around down here in Mia. We will be a much more balanced offence from the gun. I think that few remember that the first few weeks that Henne went in for Penington we played very conservative playing max protect for the QB and overused Ronnie Brown and the wildcat to get it done. Once Ronnie went down and the wildcat was declawed Henne opened it up did fine until the Oline fell apart of injuries. You also have to consider we opened up with Ginn who dropped quite a few balls and Bess as our recievers. Greg C. while reliable was still slowed by his knee and that was it for the WR's corp until Hartline showed up late in the season. Also the TE position was invisible alot due to the blocking protection schemes and lack of experince outside of Fasano. All of that is changed this year with Marshall replacing Ginn, a very deep interior O-line and the additional NFL experience plus depth at all these positions.Next talk about the OLB. Lots of mystry there.

I sort of get what Graham was saying a little. Out of context, Henne had 13 starts, led his team to a 7-6 record in which he threw 12 TDs and 14 INTs. So if you just had a computer print-out of the games, you could possibly justify this arguement? I woulda thought ESPN would have let Tim stay up to watch a few games last season though? What most Dolfans saw was an ability to make some difficult passes that some QBs just can't make, the desire to lead three 4th quarter or OT comebacks, throw for three 300yd games and garner the respect of the huddle and the players around him. His rating of 73.4 for a first-year starter on an imblanced O without a #1 receiver, when most DCs knew they were going in to a game to take away the run and force Henne to beat them through the air, was what I was most excited about. His game isn't complete from both a "learning the game" or "full compliment of passes" point of view, but to do what he did with the tools at his disposal was remarkable. Sure he has some growing and development ahead of him and I think that's what Ross sees and Graham (maybe not having watched too many Fins games last season - shame on you?) doesn't get. I think Henne may surprise a few people this year but he's still young and probably still has a bunch more mistakes in him than he will have in 5 years time. I like that we are under-rated this year too. It's nice to creep up on a few creeps and say BOO (you know who you are Tyranosaursus Rexy).Also, congrats Tin. I pasted your first sentence into Word and did a count - 108 words with barely a pause for breath and the Microsoft grammar police didn't pull you up once. lol!

I certainly am FFR. Pity the US and UK have to face each other and pity we lost our captain to injury in the first training session, but the UK is World Cup mad with flags on alll the cars, the cross of St. George everywhere and expectation at an unrealistic high .... I love it. How's it going down in the US - are people looking forward to it and is it a big deal? It should be .... this is an opportunity to be a REAL world champion, not a World Champion of the USA. lol ;)

can only speak for the tampa bay area, but the answer is most dont give a rats arse. most sports talk show host make fun of soccer. crying it is boring and no scoring. they really arent smart enough to figure out, it isnt like the NFL, there is only one way to score. in the nfl, you get close, you kick a fg and walk away with 3pts. in soccer, you hit the cross bar, you walk away with a big fat, 'you fu&%$%$ idiot, get your fricking knee over the ball so it doesnt sail on you'

lol ffr. From what I hear it will probably be a one or two generation deal, when todays kids and their kids pass the soccer bug down before it gets a bigger hold. I suspect $$$ have a big part to play too!PS Lots of the top players have found other ways to score, but let's not get into off the field stuff!

yeah herd, that is what the brits are known for. partying. i mean no one has ever thought of them as uptight egotistical, snobs, sipping tea while talking in their snooty queens english how, if they wanted, they could re-take the colonies

I still feel that Henne is the heir-apparent to Marino's cape! He hasn't shown up in it yet, but he has yet to fail at the opportunity, unlike the long line of Dolphin QBs before him!

Henne has a gun, that we all know, and he's smart and showing more potential at qb than any in the long line of qbs since Marino, that is, with the exception of a past-prime Pennington, who was injured before he could pass or fail at his opportunity!

I really have to chime in on the WC - you know I am rooting for England, butwill root for the US if the 3 Lions get booted and the US makes it through.However, the US doesn't get it at all - there is no World Cup Single likethere probably is for every other country in the competition - that said, Iheard the English one on the weekend and it's pretty embarrassing - first aDizzee Rascall mile a minute rap that no one can repeat, followed by thestolen Chorus of Shout by Tears for Fears (one of my favorite 80s bandsBTW)? What's the deal? Was Frank Skinner busy this year? I really don'tget the chorus line 'these are the things I can do without, come on, I'mtalking to you, come on'.WTF does that mean in this context?BTW, I like about 5% of Dizzee, which is more than I like of the rap genrein general, but why is he so heralded over there? All his songs sound thesame....And I like James Cordon, but he should NOT be dancing onstage....EVER.

I wonder how fantasy soccer would work....get a point for every 10 metersthe player dribbles the ball...10 points for a goal...lose 3 points for ayellow card...get 3 points if your player bleeds during the game....

<span>uk,</span><span> </span><span>they have been saying that for a few generations now. i dont ever see soccer catching on here the way it does all over the world. the biggest problem is all the great athletes in the US, play football, baseball, basketball, then a tossup between hockey and soccer whereas in most all other parts of the world the best athletes play soccer first.. as long as that happens, soccer in this country will be a second or third tier sport. hell, look at the face of the US team, one of our best players ever. landon is what, 52" 125 lbs and that is with his cleats on LOL</span>

<span>uk,</span><span> </span><span>they have been saying that for a few generations now. i dont ever see soccer catching on here the way it does all over the world. the biggest problem is all the great athletes in the US, play football, baseball, basketball, then a tossup between hockey and soccer whereas in most all other parts of the world the best athletes play soccer first.. as long as that happens, soccer in this country will be a second or third tier sport. hell, look at the face of the US team, one of our best players ever. landon is what, 52" 125 lbs and that is with his cleats on LOL</span>

<span>uk,</span><span> </span><span>they have been saying that for a few generations now. i dont ever see soccer catching on here the way it does all over the world. the biggest problem is all the great athletes in the US, play football, baseball, basketball, then a tossup between hockey and soccer whereas in most all other parts of the world the best athletes play soccer first.. as long as that happens, soccer in this country will be a second or third tier sport. hell, look at the face of the US team, one of our best players ever. landon is what, 52" 125 lbs and that is with his cleats on LOL</span>

<span>uk,</span><span> </span><span>they have been saying that for a few generations now. i dont ever see soccer catching on here the way it does all over the world. the biggest problem is all the great athletes in the US, play football, baseball, basketball, then a tossup between hockey and soccer whereas in most all other parts of the world the best athletes play soccer first.. as long as that happens, soccer in this country will be a second or third tier sport. hell, look at the face of the US team, one of our best players ever. landon is what, 52" 125 lbs and that is with his cleats on LOL</span>

I posted this elsewhere, but it seems to fit here more appropriately....

I believe we're gonna keep 4 QB's!!

HENNE's our starter!!

CP's his side-line mentor, and eventual #2 for this o10 season!! (I believe CP will start the season on IR),giving him extra time to be completly healthy for crunch time, and so that we can carry 4 QBs without cutting a prospect @ another position, while also allowing PW @least another half-season to prove his worth!!

TThigpen is a young reliable proven #2 w'starter potential in case of emergency,(who I'd not dare trade)!!

PW INSPITE of his ineffectiveness thusfar, has to be in the top 10 #3s,(IFFF ONLY FOR HIS POTENTIAL UPSIDE)!! I see it as impossible that he won't get better as the game slow's down for him, suggesting that @ the very least he'll remain in the upper echelon of #3 QB's!! IFF/WHEN the game come's to him, that's a nasty weapon as a number 3 QB,(that no other team has)!!

CP's likely done after o10, and I believe an o11 trio of HENNE, THIGPEN,and a more developed/experienced PW will make us the most impressive/explosive team @ the QB position (as a unit) for many yrs down the road!!

I believe RIGHT NOWW, we have the best QB trio in the league w'HENNE, PENNE, and THIGPEN!! I think we'd like to keep that as a possibility going into o11 w'a matured PW bringing something different than what CP will offer in o10!!

We might not (YET) have a Peyton Manning or any of the other superstar QB's out there, but IFF Henne were to go down and we were to play a team w'out there superstar #1, or any team w'out their #1 for that matter, we'd be the better team @ QB!! In most cases we'll be the better team @ QB w'HENNE,(in case the above was improperly interperated)!!

Some day soon we'll have the better QB on game day even iff PManning or the likes of are the opposing teams starter, he's on the down-side of his career, and our young QB's have no ceiling!!

How could we possibly hope for a #3 that could bring what PW might eventually bring?? There's not a 3 in the world w'the potential of our 3, most 3's have zero upside!! Do we really want a Joe Blow as our #3 QB ??

Mannn for yrs we couldn't find ONE QB, now we're trying to find one to get rid of w'out giving him a reasonable opportunity!! Same w'all the position's, HOW QUICKLY WE FORGET!! I LOVE OUR o10 dilema's, GOOOODSTUFFFFF!!! GOFINS!!!

I followed Simms and agree there are many simularities. Field general and leader is some of them. I would have to disagree with the arm strength though. Henne has an outright gun! Simms had more touch.

Tin you're not just talking about Henne here.. I know this is a touch off subject but bare with me on this. The reason dolfans have a hard time in beleiving in a player wearing dolphin colors is a matter of trust in the organization as a whole. Many still don't beleive the Dolphins have turned the losing around yet.

Oh we want to for sure, but all that losing takes it's toll, and it's the fans mentalilty that refuses to put the past behind us, and embrace this team. It has little to do with Henne himself. Getting the fans to change their mentality is a much harder thing to do, then cutting a guy that doesn't buy into the program ala JP and JT.

Most fans are on board with Henne even though we're not quite sure yet if he is the real deal. You can tell that by the talk surrounding the team. Not many people are talking about Henne, but they are talking allot about the Defense with LBs and DBs leading the way.

FFR, that's right - the tv companies and sponsors pay the clubs and they pay the players. Over here, all the big tv money goes into soccer first. Every kid wants to play in the premiership. With wages of $250k/week at the top end, no wonder huh?

I am delighted to say I haven't heard that, although there is a program about the "WC singles" on tv later this week I think? Three Lions is my fave. And even though it was awful, I quite liked "back home" back in the day.As for rap in general, it has something missing for me. Perhaps a well placed "c"? So no opinions about Dizzee, although, for an old fogey rapidly approaching the half-centurion mark, I do quite like Eminem.James Cordon dancing is just plain wrong!

We are building an armada to retake the Americas even as we speak, but it's hot work in these tweed suits and bowler hats, and we have to keep taking breaks to go fox hunting and toast crumpets on the fire. Don't get me started on the Brits "stereotypes" of Americans or you'll start another bloody war!

So how does everyone feel about the way the coaching staff has been "raising" Henne? As was mentioned earlier, when he got his first starts, they called very conservative plays and tried to keep him from throwing too much. When RB went down, they lwere forced to let him open it up more and he started to play much better. Yes, he threw a lot of pics but every 1st time starter does. I personally like to see young QBs given the freedom to let it loose and make their mistakes early. This is Henne's third year (2nd year starting) and we are still talking about letting him get his mistakes out.

I feely really good about Henne. He has a ton of natural ability and had plenty big game experience at Michigan, however, our coaching staff and QB mentor Chad Pennington, seem to always push a conservative game attitude. I want to see Henne go out there wth a fire in his belly and win some games with the sheer force of his will and natural abilities. That's what the Marinos, Farvres, Bradys all had in common: you let them take over and find a way to win. In short, i want Henne to let it fly. Especially with Brandon Marshall on the roster. What's the point of having a gunslinger if we only let him shoot .22 pistols?

When a player (esp QB) start's a game,series,or come's in randomely he's pumped-up,(perhaps too much so in some cases),then over time he gradually start's to get in a groove while becoming more comfortable w'his surrounding's,and start's to make thing's happen..

It seem's that @ just those moment's, the regime decide's to halt all momentumby installing an over-pumped, BIG EYED PW while temporarily forcing CH to restart the adrenal momentum process, time and time again over the span of a game...

It's farrr more fatiguing to start,stop,start,stop,start,stop the adrenal flow than it is to come in @ peekand gradually find and maintain your comfort zone!!

IFFF their gonna continue to get PW into game's, I wish they'd do it a few series @ a time rather than a play @ a time while usually stalling that particular series due to a complete change in the entire O's mindset!!

I want CH in there from beginning to end,but IFFF they have to bring in PW,don't do it when CH is clearly in the groove of a must win situation!!Let PW play when we're up by 25 point's,or when the D obviously has HENNE's number,not when he's obviously comfortable!!

Maybe I'll feel differently,when the game come's to PW and he's not focused on keeping his eye's from popping out of his head,but for now I wanna see everything that HENNE has to offer in alll situation's!!I've said it from day one CHAD HENNE has the ''IT" factor!!

I think that is the first time I have seen 13 question the Dolphins !!! Are you feeling OK ? Did you fall in a pool this week ? Maybe you had a mini stroke... :)

13kv I agree, first with your Marino statement and then with PW being inserted into the game at what seemed to be strange times. PW disrupted the flow of the entire offense when he came on the field. Lets face it, he's not an NFL QB. I had high hopes for him but he needs to move onto baseball. The Os may need him ;) , what do you think ?

Over all I think the Coaching staff has done a good job, but I think the OC should have been booted in the offseason along with the others. I think Ireland is a weak link also, his major FAs have been suspect so far. The team is much better but some of those moves are hard to take.

Sup G-Mann??I don't question them oftenb/c I KNOW the lowest staff member pisses out more NFL knowledge than all of us fans combined!!

When I do question them or player's aloud, I try to do it constructively,and discreatly,so that when those question's are rectified w'those I'm questioning,I don't have to do a complete 180...Not that I ever would,(right or wrong)!!

I wouldn't post something,(unless I'm jus goofin-off trying to make someone smile),that I didn't already convince myself of while feeling strongly about it,(therefore taking years of convincing for me to think the opposite),in most cases re FINS..Just yesterday I was discreatly critiquing CC, (see you didn't even notice), LOL :-D !!When you do notice, you say a 1st for 13 EVERYTIME, jusplayinw'ya !!All TIN said was "huh"!! I get that alot b/c of my exciteable creativity, *DONT_KNOW* LOL!!Positive feedback for the most part!!@least I've never had a relentless stalker,or been called ruthless names, :'( LOL!!

Tony's still a young inexperienced pup,and he's still outcoaching the opponent's for the most part,inspite of his gameday roster, and play blunders!!When he become's a whiley grizzled experienced veteran HC those blunders will cease,and we'll beat teams b/4 entering the stadium!!

IF HEALTHY!!HENNE, BM, BH, DB, SS, VD, KD, CClemons, KM, AJEdds,and several O & D lineman WILL if not immediatly, eventually become FIN ALLPROS,IMHO!!And I won't be doing a 180 on any!!! GOFINS!!

Henne had to throw way too much in those later games... 40/50+ throws is too much... anything less than 40 would be more desirable. That has nothing to do with holding him back, it's just absurd to have a young qb throwing that many times, mistakes will happen.

...ho hum ...just another fan boy post from the Hennekins crowd ...like its a crime to actually want to see Henne win the job rather than inherit it ...to actually match his "gun" with the ability to mellow the throw when that best suits the situation and the receiver ...to throw fewer interceptions than tds ...to earn a passer rating that matches the fan boys ferver ...etc ...but no, its apparently a crime not to lay down and drool over a 2nd round pick that the coaches were so overjoyed with that they went right out an took another one.

...unlike the tone and content of the article I'd actually love to see Henne win the job and take this team deep into the playoffs ...I am a life-long dolfan after all ...but I'd be just as pleased if it were Penne, Thigpin, or White that got it done ...and I'd be really, really pleased to see any one of them deserve even half the praise that the Hennekins appear to think Henne earned by what I saw as a minimally adequate performance last year ...at best.

Low and behold I have to agree with Lemmus on this one... One thing this staff has maintained fairly well is the desire for everyone competing. While Henne showed great promise, promises and a couple dollars will get you a box of doughnuts. I think we are looking for a ring of a different sort. Simply put, Henne needs to make that next step so the numbers match the promise. He has a lot of ability and he's fairly cool headed but until the product matches the advertisement there will always be people like Graham who can shoot holes in the name of unrealistic expectations.

Ross should have known better than to pull a Rex Ryan and talk about superbowls in June... There are 32 June superbowl winners but only the one in February counts. Sparano probably didn't like Ross' comments at all but Parcells probably didn't care because an NFL QB had better not get caught up in a bunch people outside the locker room making bold statements that others have to back up. Henne needs to show it on the field and all the talk will go away.

kv, your thoughts about the how the momentum changes when PW is inserted into a game are very true. It did seem that Henne was gathering steam only to have it doused by bringing White into the game. I cannot remember one successful NFL team that ran a platoon system except maybe Wood/Strock, but as you said when Strock came in it was his game to win. Shula didn't run them back and forth. I think with Marshall we will see less of the Wildcat and it will be used more to make teams have to prepare for it. Short yardage goal line situations mainly.

Lemmus, good morning you old curmudgeon - always a pleasure to find one of your posts ..... the krptonite to 13kv's Superman. Here's some competition going into camp for you.

Pct Comp/Int/Int%/TD:INT/Rating

Player A 60.8/14/3.1/0.86/75.2Player B 56.7/28/4.9/0.93/71.2

For referencePlayer C 58.4/6/2.3/3.33/96

I'm sure all the "Peytonkins crowd" were annointing Manning (B) as their starter after year 1 even though he threw more INTs than TDs. There aren't too many 1st-year QBs who come out like Marino (C), but I still say Henne (A) did a pretty decent job in his first year as starter with what he had to work with and deserves a tad more respect than "minimally adequate at best".

The once(?) bitten, twice shy syndrome! How many qbs have disappointed us since Marino? It's understandable! I also realize that Henning is probably using the same dog-eared playbook developed by the Parcells School of Football, featuring Run Ronnie/Run Ricky all day! If so, we may not get to know the full measure of Henne's ability to win games with his arm. Hopefully, we don't see the injuries that we saw last year, but if we do, I believe Henne will play better than he did last year!

If the Fins can't complete play-action passes, then no team in the league should be able to. I have to think that our whole passing attack being one year older + BM will be much more effective this year and we will have a much more balanced O. We will hopefully be playing from behind less and passing when we want to, not when we have to and when the other team knows we are going to. That's got to make Henne a better QB too.

After the injuries to the O last year, the D got stranded on the field too long too many times. This year, the defense will start the year healthy, bolstered and featuring a new look that hopefully gets us out of the blocks fast before other teams figure out Miami's D!

If we can't put pressure on other team's QB so that our defense doesn't get torched like it did last year then I don't care if we do have Marino playing QB b/c we still aren't going to have a good season. If anyone could not tell by the draft, it's the defense that has more question marks.

It also wouldn't matter if we had Madison and Surtain back there either! It is without doubt a big question going into this season, but let's none of us forget this is still only the 3rd year since that 1-15 season. We've only had three drafts and three FA periods to restock the larder and I don't care how good you are at talent evaluation, no-one gets it right first time every time. Sure, there are still question marks and potential weaknesses, but even superbowl winning teams aren't perfect (except the 72 Fins of course ;) )

Look, I agree with you. I'm not the one saying that we're going to be playing in the SB in February. I don't think we're there yet. I'm not sure what planet Stephen Ross (or the entire Jets orgnaization) is living on or maybe it's just that he doesn't know that much about football but there are teams in the AFC like the Colts & the Ravens who clearly more established & further along than we are.

I'm just saying that when I look at this team I don't worry as much as some other fans do about our starting QB. Is Henne necessarily the next Peyton Manning??? Not quite but he doesn't have to be. He just needs to be solid & not turn the ball over. For example, it was only a few years ago that some country bumpkin named Eli (who is not nearly as accurate as Peyton, not nearly as good at reading defenses as Peyton, & not nearly the leader Peyton is) who had a good running game & an aggressive defense & has just as many as SB's as Peyton. IMO--I think Henne will be better than Eli.

Win the job??? Against who??? He's better than the other three QB's combined. Maybe you missed last season but Henne is clearly the best QB we have & it's not even close. Do you remember that he became the starter after we went 0-3 with pennington ???

1) Time for a reality check--Pennington's playing days are over. He's done as a player. He did a great job in 2008 as stopgap but he can not stretch the field with an arm that has had more surgeries than playoff wins. He was hired as a QB coach to tutor Henne & as an emergency 3rd stringer.2) Thigpen is not as good as Henne but if he works his tail off maybe he can become one of the better backups in the league.3) White is a complete bust

WHP, I think we're singing form the same hymn sheet. I think we have a serviceable QB who has at least some if not a lot of upside, a pretty good set of receivers to compliment what should be a very solid running game, and a madeover D with a new DC and a different way of doing things to learn. We've become younger, better and stronger in those three years. I'll be disappointed if we don't make the play-offs, but those early divisional games are going to be tough when we are bringing a lot of new pieces together. We may miss out on the play-offs, but we have a reasonable chance to get in and we showed last year that we were capable of gaving some very good teams a good game. Who know where the ceiling truly is this year? If we have improved in the off-season, then as fans, we ought to hope for more? As Canam pointed out above though, once bitten twice shy. We've all endured lots of disappointment since Marino hung them up.

C'mon guys, have we been so tainted by the endless procession of hapless QBs that we can't even dream about greatness anymore? What's all this talk about Henne just needing to be "solid and not turn the ball over" or "serviceable". Screw that. I want him to be great. As i stated earlier, i am not yet convinced that he is (needs to show more leadership, make less mistakes and show the ability to take the game on his shoulders), but i am hoping for nothing less than a future Hall of Famer. If he is not it, i am going to hope the same thing of the next guy, whoever that is.

LOL@UK. We are DEFINITELY singing from the same "hymn sheet." For obvious reasons, we have to start the season with a win against Buffalo & then follow that up with either a win against the Jets &/or the Patriots. 3-1 might be a stretch....

I like where we are offensively with the depth we have at O-line & with our RB's. The sheer presence of having a guy like Marshall on the field when we line up on Sundays automatically makes Henne a better QB from last year. If Henne can limit the turnovers we're going to be tough to stop.

On the defensive side of tha ball, well, there are a bunch of unproven young players in Nolan's new defense. While I'm all in favor of this youth movement, unless I'm missing something I'm starting to think it might be necessary to bring in one veteran OLB that knows the system.

I honestly believe that Henne will eventually be a very good NFL QB but is it realistic to think he'll jump to being a great QB this season??? I'm not sure that's realistic for anyone. I can assure you he'll be better with a healthy Brandon Marshall on the field but I haven't seen him through a ball since the end of last season so what the hell do I know.

All I'm saying is that if he is solid & does not turn the ball over, our O-line & RB's will dominate & wear other teams out anyway. I want our starting OLB's & our FS to be great too but I think that's even more of a reach. At least we know Henne can win games.

WHP,Yeah, i totally get your point. Even if Henne is a "great", as we all hope he is, can he rise to that level this year? In my opinion, the answer is yes..but with a caviot. If you look at the careers of Manning, Brady, Marino, Farvre, etc., even if they were not winning playoff games, you knew that they were special by their third years. I don't think that Henne will have the ability to lead us to a Super Bowl this year and i know he will make plenty of mistakes, but i do think that by the end of the season, we will probably know if he is just "serviceable" or a future great. I certainly hope so.

Where we are in violent agreement is that pretty much EVERYTHING hangs on the OLB position. If we can't rush the opposing QBs (and we see a lot of good ones this season), we are in HUGE trouble. This worries me a lot. While i think that the FS position is certainly important, it doesn't concern me nearly as much. I am so freakin nervous because i know our season hangs on the names: Misi, Wake and Anderson. That's a whole lot of unproven and unknown to hang a season on.

Kula, believe me, if Henne is a HoF QB, no-one will be happier than me. My comment was "a serviceable QB who has at least some if not a LOT of upside". Like with the team, no one yet knows where the ceiling is this season and in the future. We all (with the exception of Lemmus - only j/king Lemmus) see potential in Henne. The poise, the ability to stand tall in the face of a rush and the decision making that led to more wins than losses and 4th Q comebacks. Even if he turns into 1/2 the QB Danny was, it still gives us a shot at the big prize as we will hopefully have a stronger supporting cast. Anyone who wants Henne to fail is not a dolfan for my money.

Guest, they were Liverpool fans. As a Utd fan, I expect nothing better from our local rivals but P L E A S E (sorry for copying your style 13kv) don't call me a Liverpool fan. It's as bad as calling me a Jet Fan. YUK.PS Utd fans hate the Glazers anyway and our protest involves wearing green and yellow scarves. We can even do this in the summer cos of our crap climate!

Yeah, ukfinfan, i think we are all in the same place. We all want Henne to be the real deal, think that he might be, but want more proof. I guess I was making an arugment for not being afraid to be a little zealous about it. A little blind faith makes for better football, even when you get your heart broken later. I remember being all excited about John Beck. i thought for sure he was going to be good (for no apparant reason). For me, the fun of being a Dolfan, is that never-ending hope that every player and every year will be great. It makes it more exciting.

I don't think we will see Henne throwing the ball around like that this year. I think part of the reason they did that was to see how he handled it. Part of the learning process more or less. He did pretty good or at least I thought he did. Now the Coaches have more confidence in him when the time comes that he needs to crank it up.

I feel that 3rd and long is not a impossable down any longer. Now because of all that passing other teams know we can make things happen for us in place of things happening to us.

I was the same with Beck ..... I thought he had an old head on young shoulders, we got him cheap (turned out expensive) and he was the next coming. How many QBs do we have to go through to get Marino's replacement though? Fiedler was never a great, but that guy had guts. Anyway, I agree on putting on the aqua and orange spectacles and looking into the future with nearly blind optimism. It's the drug we all come back for more of, it costs less than crack and f***s with your head a bit less!I never had the benefit of seeing PW pre-draft. I've seen him now though. Is he even as big as Flutie? I have to say I don't get that one either, but maybe Tuna has something incredible to surprise us with? I'm not holding my breath.

lol, i love my aqua and orange colored Dolphin crack glasses. Through them i have seen future fins glory in all kinds of losers. I think i once thought Joey Harrington was going to be awesome....no..wait...no i didn't.

(Though you unnecessarily corrected yourself only 1 minute later),I found it hilarious to see the word "throw" all by itself 7 post down the thread!!But then again, I'm easily amused, gave me agood laugh w'you NOT @ you!!

Amen!!! Good original post Kula! I agree with you, but I still don't like Ross opening his foolish mouth and making statements like Henne will be better than Marino and Grease. We can have that discussion when he enters the hall of fame, until then STFU Mr. Ross there's no need to fuel the unrelenting media.

So Sports Center is on and behold there is our boy Ross making his bold proclamations, WTF!!! I'm having a beer and the guy down aways is saying, "who the hell is this idiot. Henne hasn't done shite and this guy is saying he's better than Marino?" I'm thinking good job Mr. Ross. I certainly hope you have learned a lesson about making flippant remarks in the media.

Is it just me or does the media seem to be getting more and more like a circling pack of vultures waiting for any tiny tidbit to dive on and pick apart? They have always been sensationalists but it seems in the last couple years it is impossible for anyone in the spotlight to even fart without the scent being analyzed ad finem. I think what we're seeing is too many vultures and not enough road kill. They have to start making their own news out of nothing.

Saw a story yesterday by Florio the Sensationalist, er, I mean lawyer/sportswriter, who claimed that Ross made his bold proclamation of a Miami superbowl because he's got Parcells' replacement in mind and wanted to set a high bar that Sparano couldn't leap so his KC man could bring in his own coach. I think it's ridiculous! Florio used to be better before he hooked up with NBC, but now he has to generate hits to satisfy NBC.

Ronnie Brown is sitting out this week’s OTA practices because he had one of the two screws placed in his left foot removed last week. Brown said the screw removal was part of the normal recovery process for his Lisfranc injury. The final screw will remain in the mid-section of the foot he broke in November…..

ffr - there was a Panorama prog about it on the bbc last night - he's sold a house and business cos he's up to his neck in debt and sh*te, he's got enough negative equity to bankrupt most countries and banks are watching their debts like hawks. The Bucs and Utd have no money and half his malls are closing or empty. Apart from that, the little ginger gnome is doing just fine! He's as popular in these parts as BP is in your neck of the woods? Ouch.

I did wonder. Was it arrogance? But I saw a tweet that he nearly took 19 in Denver and his cousin wanted him to have that number. So maybe it had nothing to do with a certain #9 overall pick (except for the family bit?!?)

I was sure that he was going to take 85. I hate to say this, but i need at least one season of watching BM in #19 before i can erase the stigma in my mind and buy that jersey. Right now, it just doesn't feel right.

I was sure Bess would give 15 up, but he had good reasons not too. End of the day it's just a number on a jersey. The numbers in the gamebook matter more. You'll get some good numbers Kula, don't worry!

I don't think they did it by choice... it was usually our defense letting the other team blow the score up right off the bat and then we had to throw it around all game only to get close again by the the end of the game.